Moments Over Time
by Apollo86
Summary: A series of moments over time bring Greg Lestrade and Molly Hooper together


**Moments Over Time**

 **A/N – This is based on Greg's reaction to Molly when he saw her in that dress at the Christmas Party and their actions at John and Mary's wedding, where Molly seemed to be sitting/standing closer to Greg then her fiancée Tom throughout the night. I used to be a Sherlock/Molly shipper but jumped ships in Season 3. I know after Season 4 this will probably never be canon, but I will go down with this ship.**

 **All characters belong to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or the creators of Sherlock the tv show**

As Greg Lestrade stood with family and friends, in the beautiful gardens outside the Grove House wedding venue, he couldn't believe that this moment had finally arrived. Watching the true love of his life, walking down the aisle towards him, made him feel like the happiest man in the world. Their path to happiness hadn't been an easy one, but a series of moments over time had brought them together.

The first moment happened during the very first Baker Street Christmas Party Greg attended. The one where he saw Molly in that stunning black dress and had been unable to control his reaction. Thankfully for him, everyone else was too distracted to notice. He was still married to his ex at that point and even though they had been having marital problems for years, he was trying to make it work. Greg soon discovered that while he thought everything was all sorted, his ex was actually sleeping with another man. Once Sherlock had confirmed that his wife was cheating again, Greg was heartbroken. He did still love his wife and had thought that things were getting better. All he wanted to do after Sherlock's revelation,was drown his sorrows with alcohol at home alone. He didn't want to ruin Mrs Hudson's party though, so he faked a smile and tried to push the lying bitch out of his mind. Greg went and poured himself a drink before walking over to talk to Molly, also trying to hide his attraction to her. It wasn't just the dress that drew him towards Molly though. She was sweet, friendly, easy to talk to and they had struck up a good friendship over the years. He had always been married though and unlike his ex, there was a certain line he would never cross. There was also the fact that Molly was completely head over heels in love with Sherlock, even though he was a complete bastard towards her at times. Greg knew better than to get involved in that mess, no matter how tempted he was. Molly deserved better, and he didn't want to lose her friendship by convincing her to do something that she might regret. A few hours later Greg decided it was time for him to go home. Even with Sherlock in his bad mood, he had still managed to enjoy the party and have a good time. Molly was also leaving at the same time, so they ended up sharing a cab together. Conversation between them was friendly on the way over to Molly's place and once they arrived, Greg stayed long enough to make sure she got inside okay. He then politely wished her a Merry Christmas,before getting back into the cab and going back home to a lonely apartment.

The next moment came after Sherlock's death. Greg was sitting at home alone again, drowning his sorrows in alcohol. He had lost his marriage, his career and someone that he had came to look upon as a friend. He had tried to help Sherlock as much as he could, but it still wasn't enough. If Anderson and Donovan had kept their mouths shut, none of it would have happened. Greg had been suspended,pending further investigation into all the cases he had worked on with Sherlock. Mycroft had promised him that he would get his job back shortly,but Greg hated the thought of relying on him. Greg was an honest, hardworking cop,and despite what Sherlock might say, he was good at his job. He shouldn't need the help of the British government to keep his career going. While Greg would be grateful to have his job back, to him it felt like it was too close to corruption for his liking. At least he hadn't been stupid with the paperwork, which would work in his favour. He always had another person verify any paperwork and evidence and had managed to limit the amount Sherlock's involvement in each case. He knew that should be enough to keep the criminals behind bars, but it wouldn't stop the lawyers from trying to get their cases appealed. Greg knew that Sherlock hadn't made any of the cases up, he just didn't know why he would say that he had. Obviously Moriarty had gotten the better of him and with the press dragging his name through the mud, Sherlock was unable to handle the pressure anymore. Greg was about to start getting ready for bed, when he received an unexpected text message from Molly. The text explained that she had heard the news of his suspension and that she thought his bosses were utter twats for believing all the rubbish. He texted her back saying that while he agreed, there was nothing he could do. He had lost his marriage because of the job, he had then lost a friend because of the job and now he had lost that job. He essentially had nothing. Molly had quickly replied that he was wrong and that he didn't have nothing. He had her,Mrs Hudson and even John to talk to. She told him that while John may not be able to talk to them yet, he would come around eventually. They needed to stick together, otherwise Sherlock's death would be for nothing. It was that message that gave Greg just a little bit of hope,in a time of increasing darkness.

The next moment came after Sherlock's return from the grave. Greg should have known that the bastard had a plan or two up his sleeve and that he would return one day. It was the day after Greg found out about Sherlock's return, that Molly came over to his office to apologise to him. When Greg had asked her what for, she had told him that she had felt bad about lying to him, John and Mrs Hudson for two years. She had wanted to tell them, but she didn't want to put their lives at risk, just because she couldn't keep her mouth shut. Greg had taken both her hands in his and assured Molly that he wasn't angry or upset with her. She had kept his friends alive and that was all that mattered. If he was in Molly's position, he probably would have done the exact same thing. Molly broke out in tears of relief suddenly and then surprised Greg by hugging him. The moment was soon interrupted by Sherlock barging into his office, complaining once again about Gary's colleagues incompetency. Molly had quickly left the two men alone to discuss Sherlock's problems, but hours later Greg still couldn't stop thinking about how it felt having Molly in his arms. It was at that point that Greg realised he might have been developing a little bit of a crush on Molly Hooper.

The next moment occurred at John and Mary's wedding. Greg and Molly had gradually grown closer, as they spent more time together helping with preparations for the wedding and making sure Sherlock didn't mess up his best man's speech. Unfortunately Molly was also engaged to someone else now,much to Greg's disappointment. Greg had made a point to ask her if she was happy and she had assured him that she was. As much as he disliked Tom, if he was what Molly wanted, he would respect her decision. Things soon changed on the night of the wedding though. Greg had told Sherlock that he was going to the wedding on his own, which meant that he ended up being seated between Molly and Mrs Hudson at the reception. Greg had known that his feelings for Molly were getting stronger, but while she was with Tom he would just ignore them. As the reception went on though, Greg started to notice that things between Tom and Molly weren't quite right. While he had caught her snogging Tom once, they didn't seem that close as a couple. In fact as the night rolled on, Molly kept moving closer to Greg and talking to him more, almost like she had forgotten that Tom was there. While Greg had been drinking, he wasn't that drunk to have completely misread the signals. Tom had also clearly seen things the same way, judging by the deadly stares he kept giving Greg. The alcohol may have also made it easier for Greg to gain the confidence to whisper jokes to Molly about certain guests, and for him to wrap his arm around her chair, while she was still sitting in it. Greg was pretty sure that Tom contemplated punching him at that point but wouldn't do it, because he knew that Greg wouldn't hesitate arrest him. The wedding had ended up being a success, despite an attempted murder and Greg having to call someone in to pick up culprit. As Greg went to leave the reception, he gave Molly a hug and whispered in her ear. He told her that if she was truly happy she should marry Tom, but if she wasn't completely happy, than maybe she should think about what she really wanted.

The next moment came after two rather unsuccessful dates for Greg. After some pressure from his mates telling him that he needed to get out of the house more, Greg had finally given in and agreed to start dating again. While Molly had broken up with Tom by this stage, Greg hadn't wanted to rush her into anything. He was still afraid that he would ruin their friendship, if he told her how he felt. Greg thought that maybe he might be able to forget about seeing Molly as more than friends, if he found someone else. His first date was lunch with someone who worked in the forensics team. It ended in disaster, after he had found out that the lady was actually married with 3 children. While he kept things professional at work, it had hurt Greg to think that she had lied to him like that to begin with. The second date had ended just as badly as the first. Over the 3 course dinner, his date was more interested in talking about Sherlock Bloody Holmes, then finding out anything about Greg. By the time he had parted ways with his date, he was absolutely furious. After an epic tyre kicking session and a string of curse words being yelled, Greg had got in his car and drove straight to the liquor store. What he hadn't expected to happen, was that he would run into Molly while he was there. When she questioned Greg about why he was there and not on his date, he ended up telling her that everything had been a disaster and that he planned to go home and drink himself oblivion again. Molly grabbed him suddenly, hugged him and told him that he would find someone special again one day. She assured him that he was a good man and that he deserved to be with someone who appreciated that. She gave him a quick kiss on his cheek and told him that he would find happiness with someone again one day. Greg was about to reply, when he was interrupted by a text message. Greg cursed when he looked down and saw that it was a text from Sherlock, this time telling him to come over to Baker Street immediately as he had solved another case. Molly just gave Greg a smile, wished him luck with Sherlock and then turned and walked away. It was only then that Greg realised how much faster his heart was beating, just from being in Molly's presence. He also knew one more thing for certain, after that night Molly Hooper had taken another piece of his heart with her.

The next moment happened unexpectedly. Greg had gone with Sherlock and John to the morgue so they could get some evidence off a recent murder victim. When they arrived Molly was already busy examining another body. Sherlock couldn't wait for Molly to finish what she was doing, so after asking Molly where his body was, both he and John went over to start examining it. Greg had gone to follow them, but Molly demanded that he stay right where he was. She slowly pulled something out of the body she was working on and looked pointedly at Greg. She told him that she was holding up the liver of someone who had been an alcoholic for the last thirty years of his life. She explained the differences between a healthy liver and one that had suffered from years alcohol abuse. She informed Greg that if he didn't cut back his drinking, he was going to end up dead like the man in front of him. She yelled at Greg, telling him that he was an idiot for drinking himself into an early grave and that he should know better. Molly then threatened to show him the lungs of a smoker, if he didn't try to cut back on his smoking as well. Greg just stood there in shock, he knew that his drinking had increased, but didn't think anyone else besides Sherlock had noticed. Greg had gone from drinking a couple of drinks, once or twice a week, to drinking large amounts every day. He also knew that it was starting to have an effect on his health. He had put on weight, was becoming tired and lethargic, and some days all he could think about was when he could have his next drink. Molly interrupted his thoughts saying that despite what he may think, lots of people cared about him and that they wouldn't want to see him continuing down the path he was headed. He was one of the best detectives that Scotland Yard had, even Sherlock had said so (in his own way) and if he continued doing what he was doing, he was going to throw his career down the drain. Greg wasn't sure what to say in return, luckily they were interrupted by Sherlock telling them that he had found what he needed. Sherlock then asked if they had finished discussing Gavin's addictions, as he had more important work to focus on at the moment. Later on that night Greg kept replaying Molly's words over in his head. He decided that she was right and he did need to get his life back on track. He sent her a quick text, thanking her for giving him the kick up the bum that he needed, and that he was glad to have her as a friend. Greg couldn't deny it any longer, Molly was climbing further into his heart every day and he would do anything within his power to make sure she was happy, including taking care of himself and stopping himself from walking down a path of self destruction.

The next moment came while Greg was babysitting Rosie and Sherlock. John had asked him to babysit so he could take Mary out to dinner, conveniently forgetting to tell Greg that Sherlock would also be there. It wasn't Rosie that was the problem, Greg had kids of his own after all, and was quite happy to watch her. In fact he adored her, after what everyone had been through over the years, it was nice to see her smile lighting up the room. It was looking after Sherlock, that was the problem. He was driving Greg insane by complaining about how bored he was and that there was nothing to do. Once Greg had put Rosie down for a sleep, he attempted to watch a movie. Of course he couldn't do that without Sherlock interrupting every two minutes about how the movie was getting so many things wrong. Sherlock went on to comment that maybe that was why Scotland Yard was so useless at times, they watched too many dull movies and it restricted their ability to think. During Sherlock's fifth interruption, Greg received a message off Molly. She had texted him to see how things were going and if he needed a hand looking after Rosie. He had soon replied that Rosie was an angel as usual, but he was very close to stabbing Sherlock in the neck with a pen. Greg couldn't help the smile on his face, when Sherlock soon received a message telling him that Molly had some body parts for him to use but he needed to get to the morgue asap. Once Sherlock left, Greg had messaged Molly back, thanking her for the intervention and asking how he could repay her. Her reply came quickly, telling Greg that he could repay her by taking her out for a dinner one night after work. After Greg texted Molly back that he would love to take her out for a dinner, he couldn't keep the smile off his face for the rest of the night.

The next moment came after the worst day in Greg's life occurred. His team had been called to investigate a double homicide of two police constables. Greg knew that it was going to be a tough case for everyone to handle, but had no idea that it was about to get much worse. It wasn't long after his team arrived on the scene, that all hell had broken loose. The murderer was still hidden there and had set a trap for them. The killer had started shooting at them from on top of another building, one bullet narrowly missing hitting Greg in the head. The bullet had hit a window behind him but if he had been standing an inch closer to his left, he would have been dead. Even after all of Greg's training throughout his career, nothing could prepare him the fear that started to creep up on him, once he knew that it was possible that he wouldn't be making it home alive. Finally after what had seemed like hours but had only been twenty minutes, the gunshots stopped. Backup had finally arrived and someone had managed to kill the shooter. While they didn't know exactly why the shooter had targeted them to begin with, they later found out his brother was a serial rapist who had just recently been convicted. According to the officers who had made it to the top of the roof, the shooter had been screaming out that he wanted to "kill all the filthy pigs" as he targeted them. Greg couldn't believe the carnage in front of him, when he finally got a chance to look around. He could see at least two other officers had been killed and there were at least fifteen others injured. While he wanted to stay on the scene, Donavan had convinced him to go to the hospital, so he could keep watch over the other injured officers and contact their families. Greg knew she was right, the shooter was dead and Donovan was more than capable of overseeing the clean-up. After making sure Donovan had everything under control, Greg headed over to St Bart's to wait on any news. When Greg arrived at the hospital, he immediately found one of the emergency doctors on duty. She had regretfully informed him that they had just lost another officer. That was five good police officers in one day, with the possibility of more losing their lives. Greg collapsed in a nearby chair and put his head in his hands. How was he supposed to inform their families of this? They all knew the dangers of the job but no one ever expected this. It was then that he felt a gentle hand touch his shoulder and he looked up to see Molly standing in front of him. He stood up and grabbed hold of her, asking her what was he meant to do after he had just watched his colleagues being gunned down in front of him? Molly had told him that as much as he wanted to cry, yell, scream or whatever else, he had to hold on just a bit longer. She told him that he needed to get the families up to the hospital, and he needed to be the strong one for everyone else around him. Greg was grateful that Molly stayed with him through the night, it helped him to stay calm as he organised for everyone's families to be informed of the tragedy. Greg and Molly stayed at the hospital for fifteen hours straight, before the Chief Super Intendant finally forced Greg to go home and rest. Molly ended up driving, as she didn't think Greg was in the right frame of mind to drive. When they arrived inside his house, it was only a matter of minutes before Greg broke down and just started sobbing. All the emotions from the previous nights tragedy finally coming out, as he replayed the events over and over in his head. The sound of the gunfire, the yelling when the first officer had been hit, the sound of the glass behind him shattering as the bullet hit it, the look of shock and disbelief on everyone's faces as the gunman tried taking them all out. Molly stood there just holding him, knowing that no words could take away the pain he was feeling. She then gently guided Greg to the lounge chair, where she sat down next to him and held him in her arms. Greg lost track of how long he sat there being held by Molly, while he tried to understand what had happened. Finally when Greg almost fell asleep on Molly's shoulder, she ordered him to bed. She told him that he should rest as much as he could and that he could worry about the aftermath of the shooting later. Greg knew that Molly was right about him resting, but in all honesty, he didn't want to be alone. When he admitted his fears to her, Molly assured him that he wouldn't be alone and that she was there for him. Molly told him that she would stay while he slept and if he needed anything, all he had to do was call out to her. Greg had politely offered to let Molly sleep in his bed (as she needed rest too) and he would take the lounge, but Molly insisted that he needed the bed more than her. Greg thanked her being there for him, giving her a quick kiss on her cheek, before heading off to bed. His last thought before drifting off to sleep,was that life was too short to waste. Greg had gone out with Molly a few times for drinks and they had also had the one dinner together, but neither of them had actually called it a date. After his close call today, Greg didn't want to wait any longer to tell her his true feelings. When the time was right, he would ask Molly out on a proper official date. Because in this life no one knew when their time was up, and he wanted to spend as much time with Molly Hooper as he could.

The next moment came after Greg and Molly's second official date. They had gone to see a movie and went out for dinner afterwards. As they walked home Greg had taken Molly's hand in his, as they laughed over different stories from their childhoods. Once they reached Molly's door, Greg decided it was time to take another chance and kiss her. Just as the kiss started to become more passionate, he heard the voice that had given him so many nightmares over the years behind him. Sherlock had appeared out of nowhere, stating that if George would kindly stop exchanging bacteria with Molly,there was case that he had solved and that Dimmock would end up getting the credit for it, if George didn't make the arrest right away. Greg couldn't believe it,he was going to kill Sherlock himself one day. He was also very tempted to just let Dimmock take the credit anyway, but Molly had just smiled and promised Greg that they could continue where they had left off on another night.

The next moment came one year after Greg and Molly had officially started dating. Greg was lying in bed with his arms wrapped around Molly, thinking about how well things had been going for them. Molly spent most nights at his apartment now, she even had her cat staying there. He thought it was about time that he asked her to move in completely. Greg gently rolled Molly over towards him, so he could look at her properly. He nervously asked her what she thought about the idea of moving in together completely with him. Before Molly even got the chance to reply, they both heard Sherlock's voice outside the bedroom door, demanding to know why Geoff hadn't replied to any of his texts. He needed a case because he was bored and had nothing to do. John was too busy looking after Rosie and Mary, as Mary was having a difficult second pregnancy. As he got out of bed and started to get dressed, Greg shook his head and asked himself why he put up with this. Greg was just about to walk towards the bedroom door, when Sherlock called out to him again. This time telling Geoff that Molly's answer was yes and that he could celebrate the fact they could cohabitate together later. Greg had looked at Molly for confirmation and she simply nodded her head and said yes. Greg asked her how Sherlock knew her answer,but Molly just shrugged her shoulders and told him that Sherlock just always knows these things.

The next moment came when Greg finally proposed to Molly. He had taken her out to one of her favourite restaurants and intended to ask for her hand in marriage between the main course and dessert. He was feeling nervous, especially after what had happened in his previous marriage but he also knew that Molly was nothing like his ex. Molly was sweet, kind and caring. She understood his job and knew that sometimes he needed to work ridiculously long hours, but she also made sure when they did get time off, they spent it together. She wasn't afraid to stand up for herself when needed and certainly wasn't a pushover when it came to their relationship. There had been a few nasty jibes from members of Molly's family about the sixteen years age difference between them, but Molly had soon stood up for Greg and eventually her family had accepted them as a couple. When the waiter came out to ask if they were ready for dessert, Greg thought he looked familiar but didn't know why. Greg and Molly both confirmed that they still wanted their dessert and as the waiter walked away, Greg grabbed a small box out of his pocket and slowly stood up from his chair. When Molly asked him what he was doing, Greg told her that she was the most wonderful thing to happen to him and that he couldn't wait to spend the rest of their lives together. He then proceeded to bend down on one knee, as he asked Molly if she would become his wife. Molly had said yes instantly, allowing Greg to place the engagement ring on her finger before kissing him passionately. Just as Molly and Greg were about sit back down in their chairs, a familiar face was suddenly standing at their table, dressed in the same clothing as the waiter that had been serving them all night. Sherlock offered Greg and Molly his congratulations, saying that while he didn't see the point of marriage himself, if Greg was prepared to do it twice, maybe there was something special about it. He then went on to tell them that this marriage would be more successful then Greg's last one and that he had already deduced that Molly would be pregnant within two years. Sherlock also informed them that he hoped that all the nonsense over wedding planning and later on a baby, wouldn't affect the Inspectors work. He stated that even if Greg didn't use enough of his brain sometimes, he was the best DI at the Yard and the only one he would work with on a long term basis. After he finished saying what he wanted to, Sherlock then turned on his heels and left the couple alone at the table. It was Molly who spoke first, as Greg was too stunned to say anything. She threatened to kill Sherlock if he dared to show up at their honeymoon destination. Greg laughed and acknowledged his support of her decision and offered to help her cremate the body and destroy the evidence if necessary. The couple soon pushed Sherlock out of their minds, as they continued to celebrate their engagement long into the night.

Now as Greg watched Sherlock walking Molly down the aisle towards him, he quickly turned to look at John Watson, who had accepted the role of being his best man. The two had become quite close after becoming weekly drinking buddies, quite often watching a football game together at the local pub. That was the only time Greg would drink now, besides special occasions and even then he never went overboard. He had also quit smoking for good and no longer needed to wear any patches. John nodded his head at Greg, confirming that Molly was really there and that it wasn't a dream. Greg turned back around, so he could continue watching his beautiful bride walk down the aisle. There had been a series of moments over time that had lead them to this day, and he looked forward to more moments like this as they spent the rest of their lives together

 **The End**


End file.
